Whats missed here is that individuals have the choice to get up and look at each others screens, and people also have the right to communicate whether or not it

Whats missed here is that individuals have the choice to get up and look at each others screens, and people also have the right to communicate whether or not its appropriate for them to be shoulder-surfing. These are choices at the individual level - at the group level, yes: we do select for good communicators and people who can work effectively in a team while not taking personally the issue of utter privacy in their workplace. Which is not to say that members of the team can't have privacy if they really need/want it - just that its expected that they work in a way that keeps others informed about what they're up to and how things are progressing. Its not stressful - that is the point. Nobody has to hide anything because the expectation is that there is nothing to hide - or, if there is something you need to hide (i.e. you have self-doubt about your own competence and don't want to share that doubt with your colleagues), this is supplanted by the expectation that people will help each other if they notice a problem-solving session going on too long. It results, thus, in less stress in the environment, more cooperation/collaboration and a more open level of communication among the team members - and we are more productive as a result of it. Also, we help each other: we don't criticise or degrade someone whose work is inaccessible.